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"Events like MIT GSW play an invaluable role in harnessing the power of innovation and developing practical solutions to the world’s most pressing issues."

Bill Clinton

Former President of the United States

By bringing together cross-sector expertsand leaders, GSW has built a globalsupport network, empowering and acceleratingentrepreneurship in emerging markets,from Seoul to Madrid, Cape Town to Santiago.And now Bangkok.

Panels and Workshops

Panels

MIT is well known for its unique entrepreneurial environment, which has supported the translation of cutting edge technologies into over 30,000 companies. This panel will elaborate on the critical elements of MIT's innovation ecosystem, and how these factors may be applied to promote impactful innovation abroad. Key areas of focus will include technology licensing, relationships between academia and industry, university and government initiatives, and other programs that support an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Food technologies are progressing at an unprecedented pace in history, as innovations in diverse fields such as machine learning, robotics and materials science are being applied to agricultural challenges. This panel will highlight cutting-edge research and entrepreneurial endeavors in the field of agricultural technology, and discuss implications for the future of the Thai agricultural landscape. Speakers from both MIT and Thailand will discuss how to leverage novel technologies to improve productivity, sustainability, and minimize adverse environmental impact.

Education today is no longer synonymous with chalk and a blackboard. Millennials take classes and pursue degrees online, teachers integrate devices into classrooms, and technologies such as video games and augmented reality are developed as educational methods. Technological advances of the past few decades have truly transformed education, and EducationTech is rapidly taking over the Asian market. This panel will highlight successful innovations in the field, and discuss the challenges in the industry and the future of education. Hear it from the experts: successful EducationTech entrepreneurs and educational innovators from Thailand, China, Singapore, Europe and the US!

Societies are deeply altering the environment. There is no way we can go back and reverse our effect on the world. But we can enhance the development of innovative energy technologies and companies to power a cleaner future. Entrepreneurs will discuss their successful Cleantech startups, the MIT Energy Initiative will provide an overview of projects at the Institute, and Thai visionaries will expand on regional efforts and challenges.

The world is seeing a plethora of technology innovations changing the way people interact with—and move around—urban centers. A few great examples of this phenomenon is the new and global prevalence of ride hailing apps like Uber and Grab, and the use of drones for a wide range of applications including surveillance and emergency response. Our urban landscapes are changing rapidly given technological capabilities that are advancing at a rapid rate, and that are becoming increasingly accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Southeast Asia is ripe for innovation in this area; we hope to leave you with inspiration to innovate in this space!

Studies have shown that companies with more diverse people in management tend to be more successful. This panel will discuss the importance of diversity in driving successful entrepreneurship, addressing the topics of gender, race, disability, and background. We will bring together entrepreneurs who had to face incredible odds to impact the world. They will discuss how they are working to eradicate barriers to diversity and provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

This panel will dissect the unique development of southeast Asian e-ccommerce. The region's low credit card penetration, lack of trust in vendors, and fragmentation in ecommerce providers are leading the evolution of social (or conversational) commerce. We're also seeing multiple providers extended of payment services from specific to more general markets. So LINE develops LINE Pay, Grab Grab Pay, Lazada Lazada Pay. Where will this lead? Who will be the last person standing?

Speakers

Health and healthcare are rapidly evolving in today's era of personalized medicine, and so are the opportunities for disruption in the field. In this panel, experts from USA and Thailand come together to discuss some of the biggest changes in the landscape of human health, and how you can be involved in innovations in this exciting industry.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are taking the tech world by storm—from the rise of autonomous vehicles, to the automation of a wide array of previously manual labor, to algorithms that enable you to more efficiently obtain the information you need. Opportunities for innovation in this space are virtually boundless; both software and hardware developers alike can join in to apply the power of machine learning / AI in ways that both enhance workplace productivity and improve individual people’s qualities of life. Attend our machine learning panel to immerse yourself in this amazing topic, and learn how you can make a major impact with AI!

The concept of a decentralized blockchain database is revolutionizing the way people are viewing finance. This secure means of storing financial data in ledgers eliminates the need for intermediary entities like banks, promising a future of seamless transactions among people on the blockchain, without fees, opening hours, or the risk of transactions gone awry. Thailand's strong technological capabilities coupled with its citizens’ widespread connection to the internet positions the nation to make significant advances in, and benefit substantially from, cryptocurrencies transacted on the blockchain.

Speakers

Workshops

Now that your new product or service has achieved initial market traction, how do you grow from here? We all dream of growing, but there a risk of biting off more than you can chew. How do you minimize this risk? How do you decide whether you have the right management team? How much capital should you raise, when, and from whom? How do you assess upside and risk to both your business and to your ownership stake? What truths about growth are VCs unlikely to share with you?

Facilitators

In selling your product, identifying the target audience is key. Who is your ideal customer? How old are they, what do they like, where do they shop and how much do they spend? Getting to know your customer is essential for making sound strategic marketing decisions, which will allow you to use corporate resources more effectively and employ the best advertising strategies to reach your audience. This workshop will teach you how to understand and categorize the market, determine the target audience segment and profile the ideal customer for a given product.

Facilitators

In building a startup, nothing is more important than convincing investors to finance your business opportunity. Sometimes, you only get a few minutes to pitch your idea. How do you make the most of this time, and what are the key points to focus on? This workshop will teach you how to develop a compelling story for your new venture and differentiate your business from other startups. Join us to learn from experienced entrepreneurs and business mentors!

Facilitators

To achieve competitive advantage, entrepreneurs must balance the process of experimentation and learning with the selection and implementation of successful strategies. In this workshop, learn the key choices entrepreneurs make to take advantage of a novel opportunity and the logic of particular strategic commitments and positions that allow entrepreneurs to establish competitive advantage.

Facilitators

Iteration is inherent in the process of innovation and technology development. Learning to iterate quickly is an essential skill that is based on identifying and testing key failure modes with a minimal investment of time and effort. In this workshop, you will learn how to construct a prototype with this mentality and how it can ultimately reduce the overall time to a well-designed product.

Facilitators

Behind every great innovation were a leader and a team that brought a great idea to life. Leadership styles can be diverse, and so can the composition of your team. Led by one of the experts on leadership and team building at MIT, this workshop focus on learning about different leadership styles and how those play into managing a team effectively. Through thoughtful discussions, shared experiences, and fun activities, come and build the most important aspect of any entrepreneurial unit - the team.

Facilitators

Making lasting connections is essential in an increasingly interconnected world. The first step in making a meaningful connection is understanding oneself. Who are you? What do you do? What do you want? Just as important, however, is learning how to communicate this effectively and understanding the needs and wants of your target audience. This workshop will teach you these networking skills and others you need to advance your career and expand your professional network.

Facilitators

The elevator pitch is often your first opportunity to share your startup idea and make an impression on ptential investors, clients, and colleagues. In this interactive workshop, learn how to develop and communicate your startup pitch. Learn about the psychology of the first impression and how to leverage these insights into an effective pitch.

Facilitators

Now that your new product or service has achieved initial market traction, how do you grow from here? We all dream of growing, but there a risk of biting off more than you can chew. How do you minimize this risk? How do you decide whether you have the right management team? How much capital should you raise, when, and from whom? How do you assess upside and risk to both your business and to your ownership stake? What truths about growth are VCs unlikely to share with you?

Facilitators

In the mid 90's the US Navy cut the submarine R&D budget by 95%, while facing daunting competition. Over a 10 year period a program called ARCI (Acoustic Rapid COTS Insertion) (COTS is Commercial-Off-The-Shelf), was successfully implemented and it transformed the submarine fleet. For the last 20+ years, every submarine in the fleet has been updated every 18 months, on schedule and budget due to the ARCI Program. In this seminar you will learn how a trillion dollar industry has succeeded where many innovative companies fail.

Facilitators

In this session learn the principles of Angel Investing and a practical guide on how you can become an Angel Investor. There will be an interactive seminar and small workshop where we will be looking at potential investment opportunities and creating an appraisal as if you were an Angel Investor.